


Gay Up

by argylemikewheeler



Series: Tumblr Re-posts [48]
Category: IT (2017), Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Background Byeler, Bickering, Gen, Play Fighting, Richie Tozier and Mike Wheeler Are Twins, Sibling Love, background reddie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 04:03:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18402731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/argylemikewheeler/pseuds/argylemikewheeler
Summary: Prompt: Richie and Mike admitting their crushes (on other people) to each other.





	Gay Up

“–Okay, well, that’s bullshit. Richie. You definitely like someone!” Mike argued quickly. They were both on Mike’s bottom bunk, cards between them and a game of War paused. And another one about to break out.

“When’s the last time I’ve ever kept my mouth shut about anything I like.” Richie said, snapping the ends of his cards. Mike narrowed his eyes; the logic was too clear for Richie. “Not an excuse. A self-aware observation.”

“No. You are just trying to cover it up.” Mike said. He had noticed how quiet Richie had been about his summer plans; he couldn’t give himself away if he didn’t speak at all. Mike was often an idiot, but not when it came to his brother.

“I notice you haven’t answered the question.” Richie tisked, placing his next card down. King.

“Yeah, Wi- well,” Mike suddenly stuttered, reaching for his card. “Uhhhh,” He flipped over a two. The small spades letting Richie gain confidence he didn’t need.

“The cards have spoken.” Richie chuckled. He took the cards slowly, fingers dragging the cards across the quilt before tucking it in his deck. “Too bad it’s not two queens, huh?”

Mike looked at his brother with a certain delicacy that came from years of accidentally taking the bait of Richie’s half-thought out, non-evidence based one-liners. Mike stayed silent and still, refusing to participate.

Richie suddenly looked concerned. “You have to know you’re gay, Mike.”

Mike blinked rapidly, nearly choking on his own surprise. “I–I know this!” He argued. Either that or Mike lost all casual executive function whenever Will Byers just happened to be around. “A-Are you?”

“Oh jesus.” Richie sighed. He placed his cards down to remove his glasses with both hands. “You obviously need these more, you blind fucking bastard.”

“Hey!” Mike cried. He threw his cards at Richie and dodged the glasses.

Without his glasses, the cards surprised Richie. He jumped as they grazed his cheeks and his chest. He scrambled for his own deck– far larger from winning– and threw it at the blurred shape known to be his brother. Mike was able to dodge the fire and dive across the bed to tackle Richie. Mike grabbed him around the waist and Richie pushed on his shoulders– it was the only part he could find. They rolled over the edge of the bed, but Mike’s laundry was in a heap and was able to save them both from a trip to the ER.

“You never answered my question!” Richie cried, Mike merely tickling his brother now. Richie still couldn’t see, therefore not much of a threat despite being on top of his brother. “Who is it, Mike? I won’t tell you if you don’t tell me!”

“So you do like someone!” Mike gasped, slapping Richie’s sides and continuing to tickle him. “I knew it!”

“Yes! Okay okay okay!” Richie slapped the floor of their room repeatedly: Uncle. “I’ll tell you if you stop trying to excavate my ribs?” Mike pulled his hands away and dug them under his legs, offering his compliance. “It’s one of my friends, alright?”

“Oooo! Richie’s got a crush on one of his arcade buddies!” Mike teased, echoing Holly’s voice when she tattles to their mother three rooms away. “Let me guess…”

“Hey, no names!” Richie yelled. “I gave a circle of friends.”

“You said you’d tell me so I would tell you!” Mike countered. “This is a deal. A, uh… A transaction! You have to tell me the name, Richie! Come on! I’m just gonna start guessing!”

“Fuck– Mike, shut up.” Richie hushed. They were home alone, but a loudly spoken secret always felt worryingly unprotected. “Why don’t we both say it at the same time? On three.”

“I don’t trust you.” Mike said, his brother still sitting on him and squinting. “You’ll just wait for me to answer and then sit there quiet.”

“I would not!”

“Would too.”

“Richie, you did it the other day when we were supposed to tell Bill what happened to his goddamn bike.” Mike argued. Richie had stayed quiet– suddenly fighting a coughing fit– and let Mike take all the blame for the bent wheel frame on Bill’s beloved bike. “Wait. I know who it is.”

“It’s not Bill.” Richie sighed, already rolling his eyes. “It’s not Bill. Nope, not a fucking chance.” Richie stood and sat next to Mike, shaking his head and bringing his denial closer to Mike, despite him being the blind one. Mike handed him his glasses.

“I didn’t say that.” Mike said, still remembering the day clearly.

They had borrowed Bill’s bike for a quick run from Will’s house to get extra snacks while Joyce– and the car– were out for their movie afternoon. Lucas, Will, Bill, Eddie, and Max all stayed behind as they went out. The bike, of course, crashed by Richie’s own misdoing; being blind as a goddamn bat with poor depth perception. Of course, when Mike told the story, he had to become the teenager with toddler motor skills. Luckily, Bill said it happened often and it wasn’t a problem. The embarrassment was minimal for Mike in front of Will, but non-existent for Richie…

“You’re bluffing.” Richie said.

“Oh yeah?”

“You don’t notice anything.”

“I don’t?”

“Mike!”

Mike cleared his throat an obnoxious amount of times before speaking. “Eddie. Kaspbrak.” Mike said slowly, a smirk curling around every syllable. “Threw me under the bus so you didn’t get an embarrassing lecture on safety but did get someone to kiss your little fucking scraped knees-”

“Oh and like constantly kissing ass about keeping Will’s house 'as clean as we found it' when we hang out is just you being _straight_!” Richie cried, pointing at Mike.

Mike gasped and slapped his hand away. “You take that back!”

“Mike Wheeler: straight guy obsessed with gay friend’s domestic cleanliness!” Richie continued. “Or, alternatively, Mike Wheeler being a big fucking homo!”

“You’re a bigger one!”

“Oh definitely.” Richie took the back-talk in stride, folding his arms over his chest. “I bet you’ve never even kissed a boy.”

“You have not!” Mike was nearly screaming at his brother. The smugness on Richie’s face wasn’t doing anything for the cause of secrets deserving silence. “I don’t believe it.” There was no way Richie had any kind of game. He was five foot who cares of inappropriate jokes, strange voices, and the inability to read social cues. He was not charming. No fucking way.

“Richie Wentworth Wheeler, bigger homo than Mike!” He cupped his hand around his mouth and yelled into the empty house. There was a threat of Richie being dead meat on Mike’s tongue, but honestly, if the house had been anything but empty they’d both be dead. It was better for Richie to get it out then.

“I’m… I’m working on it!” Mike argued. “It’s harder than I thought.”

“Kissing?” Richie lifted an eyebrow and laughed. “Purse and push, man.”

“No.” Mike said. “Talking to Will. He’s my best friend. I can’t just… start being different around him.”

“Mike.” Richie said, taking Mike by the shoulders. “Will is gay.”

“Yeah?”

“He’ll get it.”

“But what if he doesn’t like me!” Mike considered the possibility far too often. It was beyond the worst case scenario; it was the end of his entire life. “I couldn’t do it. That’d be terrible–”

“Do you think I was one hundred percent certain before I started talking to Eds?” Richie asked, swatting at Mike as he gagged at the nickname. “I’m never less than ninety percent sure everyone in that group hates me when I start riffing jokes, but you gotta fucking Gay Up and talk to that boy!”

It seemed simple enough, which was only momentarily comforting. When the thought was to just get it over with, there was very little to do to prepare; Mike just had to pick up the phone and call Will or sit in terror until they hang out again. He’d have to, against his greatest impulse, listen to his brother.

It was a first, but Mike had to do it. There was no way Richie was going to be the Bigger Homo.

**Author's Note:**

> [The Rebloggable Post!](https://argylemikewheeler.tumblr.com/post/174538424656/i-love-that-stit-crossover-you-did-can-we-get)


End file.
